Scartoons - Racial Satire and the Civil War

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• Learn more about American history, caricature, Civil War, critical literacy, information literacy, media literacy, political cartoons, propaganda, racism, satire, and visual literacy.

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“The images included in this project can only begin to suggest the great variety of viewpoints and media of all the political art that appeared during the Civil War years. They were chosen for their relevance to major issues and episodes relating to the Civil War, including sectional controversy during the 1850s, the election of 1860, and the place of emancipated blacks in a white society.”

Provided by the American Studies program at the University of Virgina this text-heavy site is meant to be viewed and read in order. After beginning with the introduction, The Era and the Medium, users can explore the devlopment and evolution of caricature and satirical cartoons through three periods: The Road to 1860: Fugitive Slaves and Black Republicans, The War Years: Secession and Emancipation, and The Aftermath: Emancipation’s Troubled Legacy. There is also a brief Conclusion.

Note: There are two additional, primarily image-based options at this site. The first, The Development of Caricatures provides examples of various types of images. And, the second, The Case Study of Abraham Lincoln includes digitized images of the famous president. Both of these may be useful for lessons on political cartoons and bias in general and for younger students.